Physical Development

This film provides an overview of physical growth and development from infancy to adolescence, through puberty. Perceptual and motor skills development of the early and middle childhood are compared by Dr. Jack Keogh of USC. Movement education for children with learning disabilities is shown to improve perceptual motor skills an, with normal children, can reduce tension to enhance learning. Physical fitness testing, including medical examinations to reveal percentages of body fat, is described, and a brief sequence illustrates why, although physical exercise is important, over stressing growing bodies can be dangerous, with photos of a disabling ‘little league elbow’. Finally, the rapid physical and emotional transitions of puberty are discussed, Dr. Lonnie Zelter from Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles describes the impact these rapid changes have on adolescents and the variations that occur among individuals.